mercredi 29 avril 2015

Progress M-27M began its fall to Earth ...

ROSCOSMOS - Russian Vehicles patch.

April 29, 2015

A Russian cargo ship adrift in space

Progress M cargo spacecraft

Russia has lost control of the unmanned Russian space freighter was to supply the ISS (International Space Station) and the machine that initiated his fall to Earth. "He started his fall," said on condition of anonymity responsible in the Russian space complex, adding that "totally uncontrollable reactions had begun."

Until then, the Russian control center had spoken only transmission problems for Progress. "The ship reached orbit, but the telemetry data is not transmitted in full," he had said Tuesday a spokesman for the Russian control center. NASA had also communicated his side on Twitter about the problem encountered by the ship.

NASA Tweet screen capture

The spacecraft was not carrying any supplies critical for the United States Operating Segment (USOS) of the station. Both the Russian and USOS segments of the station continue to operate normally and are adequately supplied well beyond the next planned resupply flight. The next mission scheduled to deliver cargo to the station is the seventh SpaceX commercial resupply services mission targeted for launch no earlier than June 19. It will carry about 5,000 pounds of science investigations and supplies.

The cargo of Progress 59 includes more than three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the space station crew, including 1,940 pounds of propellant, 110 pounds of oxygen, 926 pounds of water, and 3,128 pounds of spare parts, supplies and scientific experiment hardware. Among the U.S. supplies on board are spare parts for the station’s environmental control and life support system, backup spacewalk hardware, and crew clothing, all of which are replaceable and his potential loss would not create a problem for the six crew members of the ISS that have several months of reserves.

Progress M-27M Visibly Spinning Out of Control

A failure of the launcher?

NASA confirmed "carries no vital lifeline for the operation of the American part of the ISS" and confirmed that the vessel did not meet this deadline, and for docking was due to "repair appointment system -you "with the ISS.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, citing a source in the aerospace industry, the freighter Progress M-27M was launched Tuesday morning by a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur, had not managed to position itself on desired orbit "because of a failure of the launcher."

Russian Space Station Freighter Launches

A replica of the Soviet flag 1945

Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has also specified that the cargo contained a replica of the Soviet flag hoisted by the Red Army in Berlin in 1945.

The flag, symbolizing the Soviet victory over Nazi on the Second World War, should be used by Russian cosmonauts on the ISS to send their wishes to the Russians on May 9, on the occasion of the celebrations of the Allied victory in the Second World War.

In 2011, a Soyuz rocket carrying a similar cargo ship had failed and crashed in the Altai region (Mongolian and Chinese borders), shortly after its launch. Three to four Progress cargo ships are launched every year, providing materials and supplies necessary for life on the ISS. After their mission they fall and burn up in the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean.